How To Stay Sane In the COVID-19 Lockdown

Posted on Apr 02, 2020
By Mina

As much as we're all #inittogether, it still doesn't make being in self-isolation / virtually on house arrest, any easier. We've suddenly gone from being the chronically busy generation to a sudden halt, like the unexpected drop on a rollercoaster, and we now find ourselves in uncharted waters. While we all try to navigate this uncertain time, we thought we'd share some ways in which we've managed to stay sane (it is only day 3 though!)

Maintain a sense of routine

No-one to see, nowhere to be, we get it, it can be hard to have any structure when you feel like you're stuck in the same place all day. Although being lazy can feel nice in the short-term, the long-term effects are not so good for your mental health. Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day, make a schedule for your day that will serve as a guide to when you're working, exercising, eating, relaxing.

Learn a language

Why not emerge out of your self-isolation with a completely new skill? Duolingo is a great free app that can help you kill some time, while also teaching you your language of choice along the way. Win-win!

Journal

If you don't already, start journaling. Not only is it a therapeutic way to deal with stressors and anxiety, but it's also an incredible way to lock away a moment in time. We are living through a time that will go down in history as one of mankind's most challenging. You are going to want to re-tell stories someday, you will want to remember how you felt and what you did, and you never know, your journal just might be used for the Hollywood blockbuster that's inevitably coming!

Start a digital book club with your friends

With social activities being non-existent, phone catch-ups with friends will become repetitive as topics of conversation begin to dwindle. In comes, the digital book club, courtesy of Houseparty - decide on a book to read and catch up with the cool app to discuss it with your friends on a weekly basis

Cook new foods

If ever there was a time to experiment with recipes, it's now. You have all the time in the world so get creative. You can't travel so maybe start by picking a dish from the country you most want to visit when this is all over

Stay connected

Whether it's facetime, calls or texts, it's important that you stay connected with your friends and loved ones . Don't underestimate how far sharing a good meme can go or how much it might lighten your load just to see a friendly face and hear a familiar voice.

Try meditation

With so much fear and uncertainty in the air, it's completely normal to feel a heightened sense of anxiety and overwhelm. Luckily, meditation is the perfect antidote and you have all the time in the world to nail it. Make it part of your daily routine (as we talked about above)

Have a Netflix party

We're so lucky to live in such a technologically advanced time and to have the ability to watch things together with loved ones, no matter where in the world they are. Netflix Party allows you to watch Netflix with your friends online by synchronizing video playback and adding group chat to your favorite Netflix shows. Cue unnecessary commentary!

Be kind

It's easy to get caught up in the negative downwards spiral that surrounds us, but the best way to say sane through this time is to practice kindness and compassion. Remember that we're all doing our best to cope with the unknown. If someone you know is doing something you don't agree with, instead of picking a fight, try to educate them on your point of view. Think about how you can help local businesses survive and how we can all stick together to get through the unknown.

If you have any ideas to share, we'd love to hear them and share them with our community so drop us a comment below!